15 September 2016

A common belief is that testosterone deficiency is an “old man’s issue”. This is very wrong. Actually, an excess amount of body fat can cause a man’s testosterone levels to drop as much as 10 years of aging. Several studies have demonstrated that too much body fat is associated with reduced testosterone levels independent of aging.

Excess intra-abdominal fat (also known as visceral fat) – a hallmark of the metabolic syndrome - is particularly detrimental, and low levels of both total testosterone and free testosterone are consistent features of men with metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it has been suggested that low testosterone levels should be included in the definition of the metabolic syndrome.